Wednesday 25 November 2009

Dear Mum, today we visited Mauna Kea and...

...found a really cool cherry picker!

With a couple of hundred people at the summit for sunset, nearly all watching another view of the sun slipping into the Pacific Ocean, a couple of people found something much more interesting to explore.

I know everyone's different, perhaps the guy is an engineer or something, but I was a little surprised to see a couple more interested in the contractor's cherry picker outside UKIRT than watch the sunset. They probably paid something like $400 to visit the summit on one of the commercial tours (the luminous orange clothing gives it away) and yet they were far more intrigued by the equipment left outside UKIRT, which is undergoing a paint job, than the wonderful and out-of-this-world view to the west.

Everyone to their own I guess...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone, and to those that do not celebrate Thanksgiving, which is pretty much the rest of the world apart from North America, have a wonderful day anyway. If it includes a close examination of a cherry picker, I can only wish that you have a fantastic time doing that!

5 comments:

Zuzana said...

Tom, have a great Thanksgiving! And thank you for your great comment; yes indeed I am at work and here there is no sign of any kind of celebration.;)
xo
Zuzana

Hilary said...

Make that .. apart from the USA. Here in Canada, we celebrated our Thanksgiving last month. But I wouldn't turn down a serving of turkey with all the trimmings if you were to offer. :)

That cherry-picker couple is mind-boggling. I'd would have had to have asked them.. why?

Have a great Thanksgiving, Tom. :)

Andrew Cooper said...

The 'scope looks much better with the new coat of paint!

Happy Thanksgiving!

kahuku said...

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

We certainly are comical creatures.

Tom said...

Unfortunately I don't know the Japanese word for "Why?" and even if I did, I doubt I'd understand the reply! They were examining that cherry picker for 10 minutes at least and just when the sky was looking at its best for that evening.

Andrew - UKIRT really did need a new paint job. I can't remember when the last one was done but the paintwork was looking pretty bad.

Hope you all had a great thanksgiving, even if it was a month ago for some - or completely non-existent for others!

Tom